Lanvin confirms the appointment of Jean-Philippe Hecquet as CEO

Lanvin has confirmed its appointment of Jean-Philippe Hecquet as CEO, as FashionNetwork.com reported in July.

The oldest couture house still in business, which has seen its sales plunge over the past two years and which was acquired at the beginning of 2018 by Chinese group Fosun via its subsidiary Fosun Fashion Group, has said it is “proud to announce this appointment.”

Jean-Philippe Hecquet - ph Thomas Goldblum

“We think this is a significant and exciting event for Lanvin, which marks the beginning of a new chapter,” commented Joann Cheng, president of the Fosun Fashion Group and of Lanvin, underscoring “the vast experience of Jean-Philippe in the fashion and luxury industries” as well as “his strong entrepreneurial spirit and proven managerial skills.”

Hecquet has over 20 years' experience in the fashion industry. Over the past four years, he served notably as CEO at SMCP-owned French ready-to-wear label Sandro, driving its growth alongside its founder Evelyne Chétrite.

Previously, the executive spent 14 years at LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, where he had several operational positions between Paris and the United States (serving as the vice-president of North American operations and managing the Canadian subsdiary, amongst others), followed by a stint at Tag Heuer, the watch brand also owned by LVMH, where he was director of international retail.

His appointment comes after the acquisition of the label by the Fosun Fashion Group, which hopes to accelerate the relaunch of the fashion house. “Now that there is a new general manager at Lanvin, the appointment of a creative director is a priority,” commented the label in a press release.

Since the ejection of Alber Elbaz in 2015, Lanvin has failed to regain its creative momentum, despite the best efforts of the two designers that succeeded Elbaz: Bouchra Jarrar, followed by Olivier Lapidus, who was dismissed in March. Since then, the most far-fetched of rumours concerning the creative directorship have swept Paris, but, as the group seems to be suggesting, the arrival of a new creative chief may be announced very soon.